Vanilla Fig Bars

I’ve been working on various power bar recipes lately as I need some easy to pack snacks for an upcoming adventure. My husband and I are planning on climbing a 14’er (that would be a 14,000 foot mountain) this summer and of course I want to make sure we have the proper nourishment. These bars will work well for the two of us given our constitutions.

Like all of my recipes, I tested this one many times before posting it here. During one of my test batches the mixture was so thick that the food processor could not spin it further. When this happened, I pulled the mixture out of the food processor and finished working it together with my hands before placing it in the pan. In the event that this happens to you, feel free to use this little trick.

Finally, if you are wanting to reproduce my exact results, use blanched slivered almonds. The key really is the blanched more than the slivered. Recently, I have been purchasing my blanched slivered almonds at the Whole Foods here in Boulder. You can use almonds that are not blanched and you will get more fiber, however, I found the flavor profile was not as good when I made them this way.

As always, feel free to try out any and all substitutions that come to mind so that you can customize these bars to your exact dietary needs. Unfortunately, I don’t know how things will turn out without testing your substitutions, so will not answer substitution questions. Besides, if I did, I’d spend my entire life chained to the computer, and I need to train for that 14’er, remember?

I like these bars as they have relatively few ingredients and are a fairly nutritious snack made of whole foods. Figs are antioxidant rich and full of fiber. Almonds (one of my favorite foods of all time) are a nutrient dense super food also full of fiber and substances that promote cardiovascular health. Coconut again provides fiber and good fats as well.

I’m not sure why you would use any sweetener as these are sweet enough without it. Also, I’ve used almonds and walnuts but walnuts are way better. I’ve used Turkish figs and mission figs both are very good.

Can I make these without the STEVIA? I really kinda hate the stuff. And my kids refuse to eat anything with it if they can taste it. However, I believe they love everything else in here….
Thanks – I love your recipes. This is my first comment. Cheers!!

I understand that Elana won’t answer substitution questions; however I would think commenters could — have any of you tried substitutes for the stevia? Is vanilla creme stevia anything like vanilla extract? I won’t use sugar substitutes, myself, but this looks like a good recipe to tinker with.

If no one has, I’ll see if I can make these with the extract & report back.

I just used 2 packets of stevia and some vanilla. The figs are already sweet enough for me, so I don’t require much and may leave the extra sweetener out altogether next time. I drain the liquid. I have made this twice and I don’t see where you can go wrong doing any kind of sweetener and add some extra goodies too, like mini choc chips, etc. All you are doing is chopping it all up and mixing it. How hard is that?

I have the same question — seems it would work either way, but the water has a lot of stuff extracted into it by the end, so it might add flavor. Just not sure if it will make them hold together better or worse..

Wonderful recipe! So simple to make, and so filling and healthy. And tasty :-). This is a must-try!

I would like to invite you to share this post (and other posts :-) ) on a new photo based recipe sharing site that launched this month. The idea is simple: all recipe photographs are published within minutes of submission. And, of course, the images link back to the author’s site.

I’ve just recently gone gluten free and my stomach is definitely thanking me for it. I found your website and have tried some of the recipes including this fig bar. Thanks so much they’re yummy. I was wondering though why you don’t have any recipes with Quinoa.Is that not something that works well if you’re gluten free? Thanks again.

I live in Australia…I could get the Stevia powder but not Stevia drops vanilla or anything similar… You guys are so lucky having everything u need at hand! Can anyone tell me the equivalent to: one drop= how many tsp in powder?
Thank you.

Oh my god- I can’t even imagine that hike. I feel like I’m winded going up the stairs these days! Need to get out and do some more hiking this summer.. hopefully after I’ve made a batch of these vanilla fig bars!

Thanks for sharing another yummy & nutritious recipe! Could you please share more about your favorite foods for long hikes & overnight / weekend camping trips? I’m particularly interested in recipes to make with 12 middle-school Girl Scouts (either before or during the trip.) Sharing a bit about your hiking / camping food cooking & prep philosophies would be amazing!

these look delish! i am currently helping my bf train to hump the entire appilachain trail and have been looking for a replacement for those disgusting power bars that rip thru our belly’s something terrible. one question though….how long will they hold up outside the fridge? i would love to pack 6-8 of them for a weekend long camping hike? any thoughts?

Sounds deLISH!! Thank you for posting.. I’m going to try it this weekend!
Do you drain the figs after you’ve soaked them? or add the water to the blender to? I’ve never heard of vanilla crème stevia but I’ll see if I can find some. Do you think vanilla essence would work instead?
Thanks so much!
Elena x

Thanks for the recipe! We live in Colorado, too and hike a lot. I’ve resorted to packing a bunch of dates & eating them like energy gels and then eating a banana half way through the hike (we usually stick to 7 miles when we have the toddler with us on the hubby’s back). Would be nice to switch it up a bit!

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